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Newton70

macrumors regular
Sep 29, 2011
105
0
The incremental iPhone updates of the past may have been fine when Apple held a significant lead over its competitors, but those days are over. Apple needs to be a bit more aggressive and I'm afraid that if the 5S rumors hold true, Apple will see a year over year decrease in iPhone sales and market share (China excluded from equation).

I've been a long-time Apple fan and my household includes iMacs, iPads, iPhones, iPods, and an Apple TV...we also actively buy form iTunes and the App Store. However, my gaze has on occasion (with increased frequency) began to ponder the various Android phone offerings. Time will tell.
 

i4Collin

macrumors regular
Apr 4, 2011
210
5
Maryland
Apple is becoming dead to me. The iPhone is becoming very dated and nothing is being done to stop it. I used to be the biggest Apple fan in the world but this sucks. More and more I find my self enticed by products like the Galaxy SIII. They haven't released a 100% new and innovative product since the iPad 3 years ago and everything they make now blends in to the point where nobody even notices it's new anymore. The rMBP I spent $2199 on lags and is more glitchy than my old Windows 7 HP and when I use my iPhone 5 it feels no different than when I used my 4 or 4S. I am very sad to say that the special or magical feeling I used to get when using Apple products is completely gone. If Apple can't revive that with their next generation of products they're going to lose a whole lot of customers.
 

slffl

macrumors 65816
Mar 5, 2003
1,303
4
Seattle, WA
Focus on improving iOS.

What's wrong with it exactly? I hear the anti-Apple zealots always saying how iPhone sux, iOS sux, but they never say why. "because you are bored with the home screen" isn't a reason either. I can tell you a dozen reasons why Android sucks though.

----------

Apple is becoming dead to me. The iPhone is becoming very dated and nothing is being done to stop it. I used to be the biggest Apple fan in the world but this sucks. More and more I find my self enticed by products like the Galaxy SIII. They haven't released a 100% new and innovative product since the iPad in 2010 and everything they make now blends in to the point nobody even notices it's new anymore. The rMBP I spent $2199 on lags and is more glitchy than my old Windows 7 HP and when I use my iPhone 5 it feels no different than when I used my 4 or 4S. I am very sad to say that the special or magical feeling I used to get when using Apple products is completely gone.

What does the SG3 have that's enticing you? A larger, but inferior, screen? What is it about Samsung that people think is so innovative?

I for one want my phone to be as small and light as possible. I carry it in my front pocket, I run and workout with it, I use it with one hand while holding coffee walking down the street. These large phones may be good for people who always have two hands free, or for women who put them in their purse, but that's not me.
 

ifij775

macrumors regular
Nov 6, 2012
154
0
Boston, MA
How do we know it was Jobs alone who came up with all these ideas? The media might have painted it that way, and might be pushing that meme now as they're kicking Apple while its down but it seems to me that's very unfair to everyone else at Apple.

Also it was 6 years between the iPod and iPhone and 3 years between iPhone a d iPad. It's not like Apple was kicking out groundbreaking stuff every year when Jobs was around.

It doesn't take a genius to see that TV boxes today are horrible, and the idea of watching "channels" of video on a "schedule" is an out-dated model based on how broadcast TV used to work. We live in the era of streaming video that should allow watching TV when you want.

Next look at that big pile of crap under your TV and ask why do I need anything other than a big screen with wifi and some smarts? Why is my stereo not run on software? Why does my thermostat not regulate by temperature? Why does my phone not control the garage opener, lawn sprinklers, car alarm, door lock, house door peephole, etc? Why does my mac not backup to the cloud? Why is icloud half-baked? When can I make purchases with my phone? This is only the beginning, where is Apple on these?

Don't even get me started on Apple in the enterprise, or lack thereof.
 
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i4Collin

macrumors regular
Apr 4, 2011
210
5
Maryland
What's wrong with it exactly? I hear the anti-Apple zealots always saying how iPhone sux, iOS sux, but they never say why. "because you are bored with the home screen" isn't a reason either. I can tell you a dozen reasons why Android sucks though.

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What does the SG3 have that's enticing you? A larger, but inferior, screen? What is it about Samsung that people think is so innovative?
It stands out. I won't buy it because I know it is an inferior product, but it's very close. Look how many they've sold...More than any other Android. People like it because it's bold unlike the iPhone. A lot of people can't distinguish my iPhone 5 from my 4S and the number one comment I get is "What's new about it? It looks the same." Apple could dramatically change the iPhone while keeping it the same size. The 4 is a perfect example. It was the same size as the 3G but so dramatically different and so much more beautiful.
 

leenak

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2011
2,416
52
I have an iPad 2 and will buy an iPad 5 but I was hoping for an earlier release. Oh well.
 

slffl

macrumors 65816
Mar 5, 2003
1,303
4
Seattle, WA
The incremental iPhone updates of the past may have been fine when Apple held a significant lead over its competitors, but those days are over. Apple needs to be a bit more aggressive and I'm afraid that if the 5S rumors hold true, Apple will see a year over year decrease in iPhone sales and market share (China excluded from equation).

I've been a long-time Apple fan and my household includes iMacs, iPads, iPhones, iPods, and an Apple TV...we also actively buy form iTunes and the App Store. However, my gaze has on occasion (with increased frequency) began to ponder the various Android phone offerings. Time will tell.

Because Android phones can do what that iPhones can't?

I think people are just becoming bored with mobile phones in general. They think this is because of Apple, so they try Android and it's just more of the same, except worse.

----------

It stands out. I won't buy it because I know it is an inferior product, but it's very close. Look how many they've sold. People like it because it's bold unlike the iPhone. A lot of people can't distinguish my iPhone 5 from my 4S and the number one I get is "What's new about it? It looks the same."

So you want it to LOOK different? WOW! :rolleyes:
 

damir00

macrumors 6502a
Oct 30, 2011
744
7
I don't really care about new hardware.

I want to know how iOS is going to be amped up.

New hardware is pretty irrelevant without a meaningfully-improved iOS experience.
 

melendezest

Suspended
Jan 28, 2010
1,693
1,579
I think Apple would be smart to redesign the iPad, as well as introduce other phone sizes (without removing existing ones). I've been saying this for a while now.

Let's face it, Apple is primarily a hardware company. Their portfolio is not that big. People often say that Apple is a big company, but it is only true in terms of revenue. I see Apple as a small company that makes BIG money. Samsung is big. Yamaha is big. Sony. Honda.

As such, they need to keep their products fresh, and have some diversity. I believe that the market for their current products is coming close to saturation. The only way to move outside of it is to add few items to their lineup, and refresh their lines frequently so as to attract customers outside of the typical fan. I feel that the two-year cycle is sound; release-then refine, hardware focus-then software focus. The product-line simplicity that Steve Jobs introduced to Apple upon his return was necessary then. Now I think they should expand it a little bit.

I see the biggest issue with their main cash cow (iPhone) was that the 5 was just too similar to the 4 with regards to its appearance. To the large majority of consumers, looks matter. Nobody wants an ugly girl (guy), an ugly car, ugly clothes, etc. (not to say that anything Apple puts out is ugly). Hyundai, a company previously considered to be junky-car maker, completely changed the public's perception with the appearance of their hardware. Their products are still (slightly) average with regards to performance, but their appearance is so good that buyers cannot resist (myself included). :D The masses want product refreshes. When not available, they go elsewhere that provides the different and pretty, especially when under-hood it's just "good enough" (see Hyundai reference above).

The iPhone 5 was just too close to the 4 in design, and many people saw (still see) it as the same-old same-old (despite its very solid improvements). This was disappointing, and brought lust-factor iPhone replacements to a grinding halt, while opening the door to the likes of Samsung to say "the next best thing is already here". I, for one, lust after a screen like the SIII, but WILL NOT live without Apple's refinement. Others will (clearly). I remember when I first saw the G4 iMac tablelamp. Wow. To this day, I cannot recall seeing a more beautiful piece of hardware (well, the G4 cube maybe). Every Macworld release of new products used to be greeted with Ooohs and Aaahs. Not anymore.

Jony Ive is quoted as saying that new and different are easy, but genuinely better is hard. Well, he needs to take the "easy" road while he works on the "genuinely better" one. iOS is rock-solid. It works. It's intuitive as hell. It is secure. It needs just a bit more refinement (a little fewer skeumorphisms, please), not a complete overhaul (this would be a mistake). But hardware, that's another story. Give me different and new hardware, Apple! We buy what we see.

The iPad mini design is fantastic. If they did the same treatment to the iPad, it would FLY off shelves again. The reduction of the bezels alone would greatly reduce weight, and the software that can handle your thumb on the screen is already implemented on the mini. The fat bezels are now unnecessary.

The iPhone needs to be radically changed in appearance, beautiful as it is. I would have broken my contracts big-time for some of the renders I saw on this site. Bigger-screen models, less bezels, overhauls.

As far as iOS 7, I just want user accounts, and an option to not have the icon rows ALL THE TIME. I wish they'd implement it like they did on Mountain Lion, where a 4 finger (3 for the iPhone?) brings UP the rows, but where that is not it's default state. That's it. User accounts and a bit of customization.

So, design, design, design. Crank out the different on the outside, keep it working smoothly on the inside. Simple. And Apple has the money to do this. One more device across all existing platforms is not going to turn the company into Jon Sculley Apple. They don't need to go crazy; maybe they just need to bring back the "Computer" part to their name. Based on their hardware portfolio, it never left. :apple:
 
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elev8d

macrumors 6502
Dec 9, 2008
340
102
perfect phone size

Let me ask again. Apple professed for years, 3.5 inches was the perfect screen size. And the Apple hopeful completely ate it all up and were in complete agreement. So now they believe 4 inches is perfect and that's how they advertise it. So if 4 inches is the perfect size, what about all those years at 3.5 inches?

Never thought the screen size was perfect, but the width of the phone is good for one handed use. That said my hands are big enough for another inch of width and one handed operation. I'd imagine smaller hands could accommodate another half inch of width, just not as comfortably, and with more fatigue.
 

currentinterest

macrumors 6502a
Aug 22, 2007
676
638
I doubt there will be a larger screen iPhone in the near future. Why? Apple saw that the 3.5 inch 4S and 4 outsold SG III at AT&T and Verizon, and they would have sold more if they had them. People want iPhone quality at the cheapest price possible, most do not care about screen size. The reduced price 5, when the 5S is introduced, will vastly outsell the competition, except in the very low end of the no margin market. The new "lower cost" iPhone, if introduced will do extremely well in those markets, and still make money. The current design is near perfect, and elegant. Nothing else comes close. Looking forward to the 5S and iOS7.
 

i4Collin

macrumors regular
Apr 4, 2011
210
5
Maryland
Because Android phones can do what that iPhones can't?

I think people are just becoming bored with mobile phones in general. They think this is because of Apple, so they try Android and it's just more of the same, except worse.

----------



So you want it to LOOK different? WOW! :rolleyes:
No I want it to BE different. Apple used to sell based on that. The G3iMac, the Titanium PowerBook. They were great departures from the beige boxes of the PC world. Apple used to sell with the slogan "Think Different". Now everybody has copied them and they have stayed in the same place instead of coming up with a new design and moving on like they used to. The number one thing that needs a major overhaul is iOS. The last great and noticeably different iOS release was iOS4.
 

vmistery

macrumors 6502a
Apr 6, 2010
941
687
UK
It doesn't take a genius to see that TV boxes today are horrible, and the idea of watching "channels" of video on a "schedule" is an out-dated model based on how broadcast TV used to work. We live in the era of streaming video that should allow watching TV when you want.

Next look at that big pile of crap under your TV and ask why do I need anything other than a big screen with wifi and some smarts? Why is my stereo not run on software? Why does my thermostat not regulate by temperature? Why does my phone not control the garage opener, lawn sprinklers, car alarm, door lock, house door peephole, etc? Why does my mac not backup to the cloud? Why is icloud half-baked? When can I make purchases with my phone? This is only the beginning, where is Apple on these?

Thing is Apple came and IMO fixed smartphones. All potential problems around TVs and media in general are just begging for Apple to fix. The connected home is an idea I love in general and look forward to what can be offered in the future
 

melendezest

Suspended
Jan 28, 2010
1,693
1,579
It doesn't take a genius to see that TV boxes today are horrible, and the idea of watching "channels" of video on a "schedule" is an out-dated model based on how broadcast TV used to work. We live in the era of streaming video that should allow watching TV when you want.

Next look at that big pile of crap under your TV and ask why do I need anything other than a big screen with wifi and some smarts? Why is my stereo not run on software? Why does my thermostat not regulate by temperature? Why does my phone not control the garage opener, lawn sprinklers, car alarm, door lock, house door peephole, etc? Why does my mac not backup to the cloud? Why is icloud half-baked? When can I make purchases with my phone? This is only the beginning, where is Apple on these?

Don't even get me started on Apple in the enterprise, or lack thereof.

There are apps most for those.
 

Tiger8

macrumors 68020
May 23, 2011
2,479
649
Enough with the s!

I have an iPhone 4s, but enough already with that. The S was great back in 2009, OK in 2011, but to pull it off again in 2013 would be dumb to say the least. This is not a car that needs to retain form for multiple years, this is a phone, a fashion statement, disposable accessory.

Just ask Samsung.
 

Adokimus

macrumors 6502a
Jun 2, 2007
842
3
Boston, MA
... I guess if your a game player ... if you are spending most of your time playing games on your mobile phone you probably can't afford an iPhone

- How in the flying f*@k did you come to the conclusion that people who mostly use their phone for gaming can't afford an iPhone? Gamers paid $600 for the PS3 when it first came out (some much higher on eBay) and gamers pay $60 a title for most current systems. Gaming PC rigs also cost an arm and a leg. "Gamer" doesn't mean "hobo."

- Get off your high horse, the iPhone 4 currently costs $0 on contract. It's not an exclusive club that you belong to.

- It's "you're"
 
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jimbo1mcm

macrumors 68000
Mar 21, 2010
1,922
477
Why the stock is tanking:

The pros see that Apple is not moving as aggressively as they want. People are not going to buy a new Iphone ( the cash cow ) because it has a better processor or camera. What is needed is a bigger screened product with the better processor and camera, IOS7(re-done), IGZO screens and drop dead battery life. For whatever reasons, be it production yields, poor lead decisions, etc, we are not going to get the Iphone successor that the market is looking for. Yeah, we'll get some new Ipads and Apple TV derivatives, but the main revenue source is getting stale and they know it.
 

yeah

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2011
974
275
Of course there will be a bigger iPhone. Apple didn't even want a 4 inch screen, but they were pushed by the market. Just put an iPhone 4 next to the current batch of high end Android phones and see how pathetic that screen size holds next to those gorgeous 4.7-4.8 screens. Keeping 3.5 inches would have been a complete joke. So 4 inches they went. Apple even had to saturate the colors on the iPhone 5 screen from previous screens just to show better on the sales floor against the vibrant SuperAmoled Screens. On the sales floor, the vibrant colors of the SuperAmoled just pop and look amazing. Nobody is doing any major photo editing on their puny 3.5-4 inch skinny smartphone screen to require accurate colors.
Tim believes they have the perfect screen size at 4 inches. So what about all those past years at 3.5 inches which they professed was the perfect size. What a joke.

If it isn't broken, you don't need to fix it. :rolleyes:
 

flux73

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2009
1,019
134
Apple probably needs to redesign the iPhone every year now. Squatting on a single design for two years with all of Android's various and ever-changing form factors is not the best recipe for long-term growth -- especially with a similarly stagnant OS.
While I generally think that this is unnecessary in practical terms, in terms of marketing and perception, I'd have to agree that they need a new design every year.

That said, I believe this can be accomplished more practically using Intel's "tick-tock" strategy. Split the iPhone into two lines. One less expensive, less powerful, plastic case, but much slimmer design; and one expensive, large screen, metal case design. An analogous example would be the MacBook Air vs Pro lines. Both lines would be update every 2 years, but alternating so that in essence, you get a new phone design every year.
 

flux73

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2009
1,019
134
Pushing back all these products to fall is interesting. What are they going to do for March and early summer? Apple TV 4? Pandora-killer?
 
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